Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins Makes History Against Houston Rockets

Despite the Miami Heat extending the losing streak to 10 games against the Houston Rockets, Andrew Wiggins had his best game with the franchise.

After missing the last two games due to an injury, Wiggins returned to the lineup with an aggressive performance. He finished with 30 points, two rebounds, and three assists on 76.9 percent shooting and 50 percent from three-point range.

Most of his production came within the second quarter, as he had 20 points. It’s the most he’s ever scored in a single quarter. Outside of converting on two three-point shots, Wiggins dominated in the mid-range and interior. Another strength was his ability to get to the free throw line for nine attempts, leading both teams.

On NBA TV’s halftime report, John Wall discussed Wiggins’ significant impact on the Heat.

“Shooting the three, getting to the basket, and being aggressive,” Wall said. “He’s being the guy, as we said, needing to be like when he was with Minnesota as the main guy. He was just being aggressive trying to get to his spots and ended up with 20 in the quarter.”

Former NBA player Danny Green also explained how Wiggins played as he did earlier in his career, which allowed him to impact the game in multiple ways.

“Yeah, he didn’t settle,” Green said. “He got to the rim. He even had some physical play from Dillon Brooks. He took the bumps, used his left hand, got to the mid-range, and used his step back here and there. He got fouled at the end of the half to get to the free-throw line some, which he doesn’t do often. Like John said, he did a little bit of everything. But he also had two dunks. If he still plays like a young Wiggins, this is what that Miami team needs to help them get some victories.”

ESPN PERSONALITY MAKES BOLD PROCLAMATION ON PAT RILEY’S 80TH BIRTHDAY

While Pat Riley is not the sole reason for the Miami Heat’s nine-game losing streak, he has contributed significantly to constructing a mediocre roster.

It may be too early to tell if sending Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors was a mistake, but several of the reasons he wanted to leave the Heat are related to Riley. The most important reason has been an inability to acquire talent from trades or free agency.

The only free agent signing the Heat made in the 2024 offseason was a one-year $3.3 million deal. They believed Terry Rozier”s building chemistry in the off-season was a massive move based on decent production last year. This has not been the case, as Rozier has had one of the worst seasons of his career and is considerably worse than how he played for the Heat after the 2024 trade deadline. 

Despite losing in the first round in the previous season, the Heat believed they had enough to contend with the core group of Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, and Erik Spoelstra, who has made three Eastern Conference Finals and two Finals appearances, in the last five years.

On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith believes the Heat’s recent struggles are signs Pat Riley should retire.

“There’s a lot of people that would love to come to Miami, one would think,” Smith said. “But LeBron departed from there, Kevin Durant didn’t come there, and Damian Lillard, you couldn’t get there. Then, you made a colossal mistake. We already heard Dwyane Wade’s story all over social media about you messing with LeBron’s chocolate chip cookies. And when you look a guy like Jimmy Butler in the face and say, ‘We ain’t moving you,’ forcing him to become a bit truculent to force his way out, it looks like an organization that you’re not inclined to gravitate to.”

Local Radio Host Thinks Miami Heat Nikola Jovic Is Answer To Losing Slump

As the Miami Heat have struggled mightily to win games consistently without Jimmy Butler, it is important to note they have been missing a key player.

The Heat have an abysmal 3-11 record since Nikola Jovic broke his hand Feb. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite a mediocre season, Jovic was having a breakout year before going down with the injury. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 45.6 percent shooting and 37.1 percent from three-point range.

A significant reason for his success is Jovic finally found the perfect role as the sixth man. With his shooting and versatility at 6-foot-10, he consistently provided a positive impact on offense. Before the injury, the Heat utilized him alongside Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. With the introduction of Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Herro was the smallest player in closing lineups at 6-foot-5.

Miami radio host Brendan Tobin believed Jovic was one of the primary reasons for the recent struggles to win games after his injury.

“But since that time, the Miami Heat have plummeted,” Tobin explained. “Not only with these eight games, but they are 3-11, counting that Bucks game he got hurt in. 3-11 with no Nikola Jovic in the lineup. Is that everything here? I don’t think it’s nothing. I think that there was something about Niko who embraced this role of being the sixth man so much. He gave a dynamic look to Miami with their ability to stagger Bam and Kel’el, that kind of gave everybody a little bit of everything.”

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook